I've sparred with people that can always defend against the stuff I throw, and capitalize on it immediately, and it makes you cautious to do anydamnthing. When I sparred with Clyde at the San Diego throwdown years ago, he would keep his hands low, but move his head and kick you in the ribs simultaneously when you tried to punch him. After a few liver kicks, I was hesitant to even try to jab, because stretching my arms out meant exposing my ribs. I'm guessing fighting Silva is something like that.

Thai boxing is similar, the first round is really slow, then it picks up to an insane pace, I think it also demoralizes the opponent when they think they can hang with their opponent during the first round, and then get overconfident and make stupid mistakes, then when the slower guy starts opening up more and more during the 2,3,4,5 rounds it just absolutely saps their will.

Buakaw Banchamek (Por Pramuk) is very well known for this tactic as well. I think it's about sizing up your opponent, and finding their rhythm, then reacting before their opponent. It would also appear that the reflexes of people like Anderson are almost borderline superhuman. He's kind of like a tiger when it comes to focussing on the kill and nothing else at the time matters.

Below is a typical Buakaw fight, which seems very similar to Anderson's approach.

I'm puzzled as to how you end up comparing Buakaw and Anderson Silva. Are you motherfucking serious? Buakaw throws incessantly and dead legs motherfuckers. He also does not move his fucking head. He doesn't borderline taunt his opponents like Silva, and then finish them with pinpoint accurate blows.

I think the only motherfucking similarity that exists between the two is that you both like them.

Originally Posted by Goju - joe

being a dick with skill is only marginally better than being a dick without skill.

I'm puzzled as to how you end up comparing Buakaw and Anderson Silva. Are you motherfucking serious? Buakaw throws incessantly and dead legs motherfuckers. He also does not move his fucking head. He doesn't borderline taunt his opponents like Silva, and then finish them with pinpoint accurate blows.

I think the only motherfucking similarity that exists between the two is that you both like them.

Yes i like them both, but when did I say they fight exactly the same and do everything identical? They're not in the same sport, with the same equipment, or even in the same weight class which makes them obviously fucking different...

I said they let their opponent throw and throw in the first round feel them out and then out of nowhere they turn it on and slowly sap the will from their opponents while demolishing them brick by brick by increasing their aggression while they're opponents just lose their will to fight.

Yes, Buakaw is not a dick to his opponents like Silva has been in the past, but I am sure that's because he is a practicing buddhist that respects his opponents. Silva never respects his opponents because he's bored, which really came out when he embarrassed D.W. in the UAE when he fought D.M.

I was talking about the mental aspect of sapping your opponents will by giving them a false sense of security from not sprinting out of the gate nothing more nothing less. They are patient.

"Buakaw throws incessantly and dead legs motherfuckers"

Buakaw's MT record 364 fights have resulted in over 207 KO/TKO most came from his right and left hook, knees, and pretty much everything but the kitchen sink.

Anderson throws precision with 5oz gloves, or knees, and even a front kick.

Others have pointed out that he often spends the first round analysing his opponents tells and weaknesses. He definitely pscyhes them out with his confident (see COCKY) body language and reputation, but it's his rediculously tight skills that win the fight.

That's why I love watching his matches so much. It's inspiring to me to see someone that good at anything. That man is a fucking master artist. He'd be awesome perfoming any task at that level. If he cooked ribs like he fights I'd be a fan of his soul food resturant. If he ran a sanitation company I'd be a fan of his managment skills. But he's a competitive fighter, so I'm a fan of his ass kicking. His surgical, effortless, flawless diamond ASS KICKING.

I was talking about the mental aspect of sapping your opponents will by giving them a false sense of security from not sprinting out of the gate nothing more nothing less. They are patient.

You could say this about every fighter that starts a little late. I think Question has a point about Anderson Silva being compared to anyone. He is excellent at spatial awareness and timing. He can "be a dick" to his opponents and get away with it because of this fact.

Anderson Silva does have a "feeler round" like many fighters do, but the thing that makes him so god damn entertaining is what he does after that. Once he figures you out, you stand no chance. It's not a methodical brick-by-brick breaking down of his opponent. It's a front kick to the face. It's dipping and bobbing every punch and dropping you with a jab. It's breaking the rules and making you pay for it. Not even in boxing or kickboxing have i seen someone with that much of a striking skill deficit over their opponent.